The daughters of the woman at the center of the deadly Metro-North crash are defending their mom, saying she would never hurt anyone.

Alexa, Danielle, and Julia Brody sat down with "Today" host Matt Lauer in their Edgemont home, recalling the events of that night.

The girls say they were watching the news of the train crash at home on Feb. 3. They say they tried to call their mother on her phone but there was no answer. They finally learned more about the crash and their mother's death from their father.

Police say Ellen Brody was on her way home from work when she stopped on the tracks after the gates hit her SUV at the Valahalla crossing. A northbound MTA train hit her, killing the 49-year-old and five men in the train's first car.

Brody's daughters say hearing others criticize their mother makes the pain so much worse. They say they try not to watch the news or read comments online. They are only trying to focus on their mom and the memories she left behind.